Sheriff Ed Tom Bell

Sheriff Ed Tom Bell in No Country for Old Men

Choosing a favorite character is like picking a best friend.  Over the years my favorite literary character has been and remains Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee.  In the book you see Finch through the eyes of his daughter Scout (Jean Louise) who is the main character and the one who is changed and molded by the events.  Atticus is a hero type that remains steadfast throughout the ordeal.  He's an honest, moral crusader, lawyer who takes on the lost cause of defending an innocent black man in a racist southern town. 

Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy) is a favorite in a different way from Atticus Finch.  Bell has more flaws, less formal education, and throughout the book questions whether his form of law enforcement, and his aptitude for it, are still relevant to the new era of violence in which he finds himself.  In the book he is faced with the unattainable duty of saving some residents of his county from a soulless hit man.

McCarthy reveals the character of Sheriff Bell in two ways: first by an inner dialog that allows the reader to see Bell's thoughts directly and also through Bell's actions as the story plays out.  No physical description is given in the book.  The only description given by another character is: "I don't think of him at all. He's a redneck sheriff in a hick town in a hick county.  In a hick state."

That description is highly inaccurate.  Bell may be sheriff in what could be described as a hick society, but he's no redneck.  He has a clear idea of what constitutes right and wrong and a strong sense of responsibility.  When asked whether or not he cared how things will turn out, he answered, "The people of Terrell County hired me to look after em.  That's my job. I get paid to be the first one hurt.  Killed for that matter.  I'd better care."

He is direct, plain spoken, with a quick wit and a no-nonsense attitude.  The primary mannerism that McCarthy reveals is in the way he treats his hat.  Always polite, he removes it as a sign of respect or puts it on with determination when starting out to do something.

A veteran of WWII, Bell became sheriff at age twenty five after returning from the war as a local hero. He is now in his mid-fifties.  He is bothered by his perception of moral degradation in today's society compared to when he grew up.  The other thing that weighs heavily on his mind is his unease with his actions when he was in the War.

He had an uncle who died in WWI.  It is a shadow by which he measures his own actions as a soldier in WWII.  Bell's unit was decimated by German artillery fire.  He was wounded  but continued to defend the position until dark.  For that he was awarded a Bronze Star that he was reluctant to accept because he left the position after dark and did not stay to fight on in what was a lost cause.  He feels that he signed on to fight for his country, and die if necessary.  He has been trying to compensate for his perceived shortcoming for the last forty years.

Family, friends and the past are important to Bell.  He idolizes his grandfather who spent his life as a sheriff in another county and remains close to his uncle Ellis who was left disabled by a shootout as a deputy.  However, most important to him is his wife who is the one he can always turn to and confide in.  He considers her somewhat of a saint in dealing with the challenges of being the wife of a sheriff.

At the end of the story he makes two significant choices: first he decides to retire, with a bit of remorse for his failure to bring the antagonist to justice; second in a conversation with his uncle Ellis he talks for the first time about what really happened in the war and his misgivings about it.

One could argue that Chigurh, the antagonist, is the most unique and powerful character type in the book.  He certainly gets the reader's attention.  But for me, Bell is a favorite for the power of his principles and his attention-getting philosophical reminiscences.  In them he mentions conversations that he has with his deceased daughter.  McCarthy employs these italicized extended dialogues to begin each of twelve chapters and then for the entirety of the thirteenth and final chapter to give the reader direct access to Bell's thoughts.  Whether they are directed to his daughter, the reader, or simply the musings of his mind, they provide an excellent example of how an author can create a character of depth and substance without going into physical details such as hair, clothes, facial features, etc.  I read the book long before I saw the movie version.  My vision of the character was well defined from the book.  It is no coincidence that Bell's character in the movie fit my vision quite nicely.

If I had the chance to meet Atticus Finch in person, I would be in awe of his presence.  On the other hand, I can relate more closely to Ed Tom Bell and believe we could comfortably discuss many issues of life over a cup of coffee.